


laughter lines

by sirenssing



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-08 14:32:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1133780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirenssing/pseuds/sirenssing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Percy sees Nico laugh - <i>really</i> laugh - he can’t look away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	laughter lines

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about how rare it must be when Nico laughs and then this happened.

The first time Percy sees Nico laugh -  _really_ laugh - he can't look away.

He's doubled over, clawing at his ribs as if that would somehow cease the endless giggles he happens to be caught up in.

There's Jason, lying on the ground in a heap, scowling, clearly miffed by whatever has struck Nico to be hilarious. It wouldn't be like Nico to care in the slightest when people are annoyed with him, and this time is in no way different.

But it's not Jason Percy can't tear his eyes from.

Dark eyes seem brighter, fuller with tears of laughter brimming them, and the saccharine sound of seemingly endless amusement travels across the camp to Percy's ears.

He's not sure he's ever seen the kid this happy, save for maybe when Bianca was still around, but that's a subject he does  _not_  desire to delve into. Contrary to belief, guilt actually  _isn't_  one of Percy Jackson's favorite emotions.

And it's not that he's been unhappy, necessarily, more like moody in a surly way that makes everyone back the fuck off because this is the  _Ghost King_  we're talking about. Just about everyone, save for those that actually know him, sort of cower a little around the kid. If not for knowing about those unique powers of his, for lack of a better word, than for the way he seems to glower - maybe unknowingly - at every person he passes.

It strikes Percy that he  _knows_  all of these things, suggesting he'd paid an attention to the kid he was not entirely aware of. Only to be expected, of course, after having not seen him for what, two years following the defeat of Gaia? Fresh face might not be the most appropriate of phrases, but that didn't mean Percy wasn't happy to see him.

And apparently he'd been counting.

As it happened, the underworld hadn't been the most welcoming of places following the war with, you know, the fucking  _earth._ So no one was really surprised when Nico surfaced with less than half of the cleaning up accomplished that the place really needed.

But laughing? No, no one had expected that. It wasn't surprising that it was Jason causing his amusement. Percy had - unwittingly, of course - noticed that Jason had sort of a soft spot for the son of Hades.

He told himself he didn't feel that pang of jealousy.

Regardless, Nico's laughing, and Percy's eyes follow every movement. From the toothy grin, to the fisted fingers, to wispy black tufts of hair falling into his face. He watches Nico's eyes close, crinkling at the edges, his lips stretching over the wide arc his mouth forms. He has a vaguely jarring thought that maybe something belongs  _in_  that mouth, and that brings him back to the surface, gasping for air like some idiot with too many raving fantasies.

It should be a good thing, Nico laughing. It means he's contented and not moping about because of just about a million things Percy's sure contribute to his usual demeanor.

But Percy's not sure he can watch Nico when he laughs like that anymore. It's entirely too attractive, and  _gods_  campers are beginning to notice the way he's staring.

It takes decidedly too much effort to tear his eyes away and try and remember what he was doing before...well. Nico  _laughed._


End file.
